1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wheel protectors and, more specifically, to a domed wheel cover to protect chrome, aluminum and other such wheels when applying dressing to the associated tires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other wheel protection devices known in the art. While these wheel protection devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. The present invention seeks to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by introducing a domed covering element having a handle member that is used to protect the wheel rim from cleaning agents that are employed when dressing the tires.
Many people dress the tires after washing their vehicles to give them a shiny, wet look but the substance often gets on the freshly cleaned chrome or aluminum wheel rims thereby compromising the polish thereof. Cleaning the substance off of the wheels can be time-consuming and annoying. Tire dressings may be applied in several manners including using a spray bottle or
brushing on a solution mixed in a bucket. Unfortunately it is almost inevitable that some dressing will drip or get sprayed onto the wheel rims regardless of the care taken by the user. The present invention provides a domed covering element sized to cover and protect the entire wheel rim while leaving the tire fully exposed. A handle member is fixedly attached to a central portion of the convex side of said covering element to allow the user to easily and rapidly put the present invention into position and maintain it there with the use of just one hand so the other is free to spray or brush on the tire dressing. The domed shape of the covering element keeps the users hand away from the dressing solution during the application thereof as well as protecting the wheel rim from getting scuffed from contact with the surface of the covering element.
Wheel rims and their respective tires come in various sizes and the present invention may be manufactured accordingly so the circumference of the covering element is sized to conform to the area where the tire meets the rim. The user may purchase the appropriate wheel rim cover according to the size of the wheels on the vehicle.
An additional element of the present invention is included wherein a resilient, compressible gasket encompasses the periphery of the covering element to form an impermeable seal when a slight pressure is applied thereto. The gasket assures that no solution will pass therethrough and contact the wheel even when heavily applied.